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mumbled out of the blue, "I don't think I'm going to come back to school next
year." I slammed down on the brakes and the tires screeched to a halt. "Chill,
Lily it's not for sure," she assured me, "I'm just thinking about it. Besides, my
parents will completely flip when they hear." I snorted as I got back to my
senses, since when does Andy have any regard for what her parents say, or
anyone for that matter? I still tried to play it cool. "No, I'm chilled, just what
I don't know, see the world, maybe a bit of modeling. I really want to"
move to the city." I bit my lip. Andy would make a great model. She's
5"10', really skinny, with long flowing reddish-blonde hair, and her eyes
are like twin swimming pools. Plus she can sit straight for hours. This as far
as I can see is probably all a model really has to know how to do. "What
happened to our idea of seeing the world together, y'know before college
"?next summer
I know but I need more than a month for this trip, and you'll be"
will only get accepted to the stupid community college, so I might as well
".not go
Seriously Lily Moon, you know I would never go anywhere cause my"
It's better than not going anywhere, and who may I ask will be"
Just as she was closing the car door behind her, Andy's mother, Renee
Echollis stormed out of the front door, with their Hispanic maid Carlie
fussing behind her. She was in a particularly nasty rage today. Screaming
and spitting in French with a heavy accent (which I happen to know is fake
because fact is, she was born and bred in the Bronx.) "ANDREA!" she
roared when she spotted Andy. "YOUR SCHOOL CALLED THAT FOR SOME
IT'S THE SECOND DAY OF THE SCHOOL YEAR FOR GOODNESS SAKE!" Then
she spotted me through the open window "You!" she said, her expression
matches. I find this interesting, without me Andy would've been kicked out
of school ages ago "I should've known if Andrea is around people like you
there would be trouble." Andy didn't even defend me. She just rolled her
eyes and started walking into the house. "Don't you walk away from me,
you just wait! When your father hears about this…!" screamed her mother.
.I drove away smiling to myself, and put the radio up on top volume
Later, I pulled into the driveway at our house in the southern part of
Hope, New York a suburban town about an hour outside of New York City.
Most of the town are wealthy families, like Andy's, I live in the southern
.part where the houses, like most of the people, are shabbier and older
work by train) when Mrs. Morlyn, an old black widower who used to baby
".Could be better"
".That too"
You working hard?" she asked. Mrs. Morlyn thinks I'm going to be the"
should have the chance she never had because when she was young
?Actually I have a big report due soon," what's a little white lie"
I trudged into the house and threw my things on the sofa. Than I
changed into an old t-shirt and started to wash the dirty dishes from lasts
night's supper with the radio on to the news. The phone rang as I was
.drying up
.Hello," I said"
".Hi dad"
".Same old"
.father
I think I'm going to have to stay at the hotel here for the night, do"
you mind?" Dad's a real estate lawyer, because of his terribly boring
career choice I've decided that I'm going to go into something a little more
Okay, well I guess there are no instructions to give you, besides to"
",Kay"
".Good night"
.I smiled at the phone, "I love you too Daddy." The line went dead
There was nothing to do it was only the first week of school so there
was no homework. I slumped on the couch and then got up to look in the
fridge. Nothing good. I settled back on the couch. Fridge. Couch. Fridge.
Couch. I finally ordered a pizza. When the pizza arrived I curled up on the
couch and took out Harry Potter to read for the umpteenth time. I was
quite immersed in it when the door bell rang. We don't get many house
calls besides for the mailman with his complaints and it was 8 o'clock P.M.
Me" I swung open the door. It was Andy looking a little worse for"
wear but alive and healthy, good thing too because with Andy you never
.know
Not much," she said looking past me, "I'm starved. Is that pizza?" I"
closed the door and locked up sighing. When I turned around Andy was
already settled on the couch working on her second slice, pretty amazing
look she answered, "I told them I was going away for the night, my Dad
The principal called and told my Dad that I probably won't get a"
diploma next year because I didn't take the stupid regents last year. Why
"?does New York have to be the only stupid state with those stupid tests
Andy settled back comfortably, "Looks like I'm going to spend the
".Not home"
A few hours later we were lying on the floor of my room staring at the
She sat up, "You're smart, charismatic, and everyone likes you Lily.
You also have a great relationship with your Dad who is the nicest guy." I
was shocked, not just even to hear Andy use the word relationship, but
she had never said anything like that to me before. She continued, "I, on
the other hand, am stupid. I'll never get into any college, (Ha! I knew she
really wanted to go) I'm getting kicked out of school; every solitary person
Me… Lucky?" I was in shock, "No… You have no idea… None…" I was"
shaking my head and muttering to myself. Than the last sentence of her
speech finally registered and I became angry. No, livid. Boiling water was
screamed, "How dare you say that 'I'm lucky' Andy! You have no idea how
it is! You want to know why my father and I have such a great
turn away from your parents and act like you're the victim of all their
issues, but the truth is, the fault is in you, and the way you treat them!" I
breathed slowly, calming down, "They were always there for you. They still
How did it happen?" Andy asked softly. It took me a few moments to"
realize she was talking about my mother. Since Andy and I had become
anyone what truly happened. A huge lump rose in my throat, and my eyes
I was nine," I said quietly, "It was summer so we went to the beach."
a swim. I was afraid of the waves so I said no, but I told her I was tired." A
few hot tears rolled down my cheeks, "She saw right through me. She told
me it was just a quick dip. She went in the water, and I watched her go
deeper and deeper and she suddenly started waving at me. I waved back
thinking she wanted to say hi, but she was stuck in a whirlpool. Next thing
I know she's gone…" I was sobbing now, "Don't you see? I could've
stopped it, I could've gotten help, but I didn't." I was beside myself, "She
was so smart and funny and nice and beautiful. Dad says I look like her,
blonde hair, dark eyes, petite, but I'm the plain version of her." I hiccupped
.quietly
Maybe that's why you're always trying to fix me," Andy said"
thoughtfully, "Because you need control of a situation, like you didn't have
".Andy laughed, "Of course you are. It's okay I need you
".Andy looked taken aback "My father goes to work really early, sorry
We'll go to his office in the city and meet him there. I don't really"
care when or how we get there, it is absolutely important that you patch
Andy threw a pillow at me, "Yea right, we'll be late to school. You
would never miss your bio class." I threw the pillow back at her, "We're not
.I had won
trade center. When we floated through the door a security guard asked us
"?September"
I gave in the form, and grabbed Andy towards the elevators "Come
When we got to Andy's office except for a secretary that had just
arrived who was helping herself to some coffee, from a machine. "Is Mr.
",His daughter"
Well Mr. Echollis doesn't get in until around ten on weekdays," she"
said suppressing a smile, "but I'll tell him you dropped by." I glared at
.Andy
She was cut off by a huge crash somewhere in the building. The
secretary jumped up spilling coffee all over herself. I ran towards the
window. Smoke was mushrooming outside rapidly. "I think the buildings on
go." The secretary looked panicked, "Do you think it's going to collapse?
Calm down," said Andy, "Do you know how many tons of steel this"
building is made of. It's not going anywhere." Andy and I started out the
door. The secretary followed half heartedly she was breathing loudly and
collapsed on the floor holding her chest and choking out short gasping
Asthmatic?" She asked calmly. The woman was sobbing hard and she
The first thing you have to do is calm down, and focus on your"
Lily," Andy said to me not taking her eyes off the secretary, "Go back"
into the office and get her pocketbook," I was so terrified I ran to the office
like my life (or the secretary's life) depended on it. This was the first time I
smelled the smoke, I was surprised I hadn't before it was quite heavy. I
found the inhaler not in the pocketbook but in a separate shopping bag
next to her chair. I brought it out to Andy. Andy helped the woman with the
inhaler, and she breathed slowly, returning to her normal skin tone. We
helped the secretary to her feet and supported her out the door leading to
the stairwell. The smell of smoke was stronger here. Apparently, we were
not the only ones who had decided that leaving the building was a good
idea because the place was packed with official looking businessmen and
women. Andy asked a middle age man to help the woman down. Then
Andy that's crazy, firemen will come and do that we have to go!" by"
now the smell of smoke was extremely strong and the window's were hard
"?conscience, do you
I sighed and Andy was already running down the hall of the fifteenth
floor. We raced through the offices on the fifteenth floor checking every
office and room. Most of them had their doors ajar from people who had
probably left already. When I thought we were finally through, Andy yelled
at me from a different room "Lily get in here!" she yelled, I ran in to a sight
that on most days I would find funny, but due to to certain circumstances
ears, asleep on the job, snoring steadily. Andy shook him firmly "Get up!"
The smoke was getting thicker, but Andy was beaming. "Lily do you
realized that we just saved two people's lives! Let's check the last few
.I wasn't reassured, but I checked the last two offices with her quickly
There was another loud crash from outside. Andy suddenly cried,
"Here Lily," She was pointing at an exit sign and had pulled back a door to
reveal another empty stairwell, "Come on," the air was thick with smoke
now, we started running down the stairs, On the 12th floor a realization hit
me. What Andy had said the night before about me trying to fix her had
been true! Not about me, but her! I had never seen her so happy before,
that was because this is what she had been missing! This was what she
needed! For people to need her. The second we get back to school I was
going to sign her up for those after school programs to help out at the
Andy who was a stairwell ahead of me missing the top step of the 5th floors
set of stairs she tumbled down almost gracefully and her head made
.contact with a wall with a sickening crack she slumped to the floor
ANDY!" I yelled, and jumped the last few steps to her I fell down"
beside her and turned her face towards me. Blood poured from her head
forming a little pool around us. I shook her shoulders "Andy wake up! I
need you! Remember? I do!" I was bawling the smoke was so thick I could
hardly see. "HELP!" I yelled, "Please, Help!" I couldn't control myself. I was
shaking so hard. I put Andy's bleeding head against my chest and hugged
Then I felt it. A pulse, weak, but definitely there. I was going to have
to take her down the stairs. She was so much bigger than me it was
hard, I dragged her carefully down the steps with a strength I did
not know that I possessed. I opened the door on the last floor
hoping against all hope someone could still save her. In the lobby
.moving traffic
".Run kid, your friend will be fine, but you have to go"
I ran out of the building with him and watched him bring her in an
ambulance that roared away. I felt blind, my shirt was blood soaked and
my eyes were like streams. I ran ten blocks before daring to turn around
just in time to see the first tower crumble mercilessly to the ground. I
continued running knowing that I had done what I was meant to do I had
Dr. Moon! It's a good thing you picked up the insurance agency "
Tell them that Dr. Echollis and I reveiewed the case and have come "
".to the conclusion that this is the only alternative for now
"I did! They seem to think it's not in his best interests "
".Is dying?" I said furiously, "I have to go I'll get back to you Dora "
I sped into the driveway, flew passed the open door, and raced up the
stairs. I knocked quietly on the door. "Come in," said a small voice. I
walked into Andy's room in anticipation. There was a scent of lilacs in the
She wore a simple, long, fresh, white gown and a matching veil. Her
hair flowed down her back and in the light streaming through the window
it hinted with summer time gold. Her make-up was natural and flawless,
.I…I have no words, Andy you look like…a princess." I stammered "
Go," I whispered urgently opening the door for her. She turned and I "
".saw tears glistening in her pretty eyes. "Thank you Lily Moon